Leveling and safety device for brakes.



W. C. HEDGCOCK.

LEVELING AND SAFETY DEVICE FOR BRAKES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, l9l4.

Patented June 22 1915.

LLIAM C. HEDGGOCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. ASSIGNOR T AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES, OF NEW YORK, N.'Y., A CORPORATION 01 NEW'JERSEY.

LEVELING AND SAFETY DEVICE FOR BRAKES.

flpecifie'ation of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 191 5.

Application filed November 28, 1914. Serial No. 874,506.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, WILLIAM C. Hane- COCK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leveling and Safety Devices for Brakes, of whlch the following is a specification.

My invention relates to brakes and has particular reference to a novel leveling device which shall be so constructed and arranged as to provide a safety feature 1n connection therewith.

In the use of brake beams it is desirable that means should be provided for maintaining the same in parallelism; that is, to maintain the brake shoes of a beam in the same angular relation to the wheels irrespective of the position of the shoes with relation to the axis of the wheels. It .follows, from the use of such construction, that when a beam is retracted and the shoes are in nonbraking position the face of the shoes will be spaced an equal distance from the wheels at the top and bottom of the shoes. If proper means are employed this same relation of the shoes and the wheel will continue even though the wheel becomes worn down and is turned ofl", thereby reducing its d1- ameter.

An object of the present construction is to provide an efficient leveling device which shall have combined therewith spring means for releasing the brakes from the wheels,

and which shall also include a safety feature.

incident to the construction of the leveling device.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of brake beams and a spring plank, the parts being located in their normal assembled relation;

Fig. 2 is an end view and part section on.

the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings it will be seen that brake beams 10, 11

are mounted in proper relation to wheels 12, 12, these beams carrying brake heads, 13 and brake shoes 14. In the application shown the beams are part of a common type of freight truck, which truck usually includes a spring plank 1.5, the ends of which, as is well understood, are secured to the side frames of the truck. Carried by each beam is a thimble 16 which is secured to the compression and tension members of the beam by means of the clip 17 and the U-bolt 18. Une of these thimbles is located near each end of each beam. Passing through the thimbles, and therefore projecting above the spring plank 15, is a round rod 19 which carries at its ends coil springs 20 held in place by means of nuts 21. The usual hangers may be connected to the heads and serve normally to support the beams in proper relation. However, in case of accident or failme of the regular hangers, the beams will be supported by engagement of the rod 19 with the spring plank 15 and be prevented from dropping to the track. The long thimble 16, being securely held on the beams, serves to maintain each beam in alinement with its associated beam, and to maintain the beams in proper alinement with relation to the periphery of the wheel. Thus when the brakes are released the movement is in a horizontal line and one corner of a brake shoe can not drag on the wheel. Inasmuch as the usual hangers for the brake beams are carried on a fixed pivot at the top, the backward and forward motion of the beams will be in the arc of a circle, and, therefore, the leveling device, including the rod 19, must move vertically to a limited extent. This precludes the attachment of the rod to the spring plank in such manner as to prevent this vertical movement. However, by locat ing the leveling device above the beam, it will project above the spring plank and will operate freely in such position. In case of accident to the usual hangers the beams will be prevented from accidentally dropping to the track. The spring release arrangement shown is very simple and inexpensive, and provides for a sure release from braking engagement.

I claim:

1. In a brake, the combination of a pair of wheels, brake beams mounted in proper relation to said wheels, a spring plank between said wheels, and a beam leveling member extending between adjacent beams and located above said spring plank, substantially as described.

} 2. In a truck, the combination of wheels, a spring plank and brake beams, and a beam leveling rod extending between adjacent beams and located above said spring plank, substantially as described.

the thimbles of adjacent beams and located above such spring plank, said rod and (himble construction providing for freedom of 15 movement between the rod and beam in one direction and preventing angular movement between the beams connected by said rod, substantially as described.

WILLIAM C. HEDGCOCK.

Witnesses:

C. F. MURRAY, T. D. BUTLER. 

